Bill de Blasio and his wife, Chirlane McCray, announced Wednesday that they are separating after nearly 30 years of marriage, divulging the causes of their split in an almost three-hour interview with The New York Times. The decision to split came after the former New York City mayor asked his wife around two months ago: “Why aren’t you lovey-dovey anymore?” The question, according to the Times, was posed after the couple had spent “another stale Saturday night of binge-watching television at their Brooklyn home.” De Blasio’s query sparked what the paper called “a full accounting of their relationship” after which they determined they would not divorce but would start dating other people. De Blasio’s time in office, his 2020 presidential bid, and COVID were all cited as strains on their marriage. “I just want to have fun,” McCray said in the interview, adding: “It’s not that we haven’t had fun.” De Blasio also discussed his anxieties about “being the guy who took the chance on a woman who was an out lesbian and wrote an article called ‘I Am a Lesbian,’” sometimes asking himself “is this like a time bomb ticking?” He also joked if he could “put a picture from the gym” in the Times in an effort to attract potential partners as he’s “not a believer” in online dating.
